Refrigerator



Oct. 9, 1945. J. N ROTH Re. 22,680

- REFRIGERATOR Original Filed Jan. 19, 1940 ZSheetS-Sheet 1 J. N. ROTH Oct. 9, 1945.

REFRIGERATOR Original Filed Jan. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reiosued a. 9, 1945 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATOR Joseph N. Roth, Belding, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Montcalm, Incorporated, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan 7 12 Claims. (01. .sz-s) This invention relates to a refrigerator, and

The present application is a divisional of my application, Serial No. 314,704, filed January 19,

1940, which issued as Patent No. 2,305,640.

One feature of this inventionis that it provides an improved and more convenient location of the manual control associated with control apparatus for varying the amount of remore particularly to an improved control arrangement fora domestic refrigerator.

frigeration in a domestic refrigerator; another net adjacent the condenser.

paratus is located in convenient and desirable relationship with the refrigerant circulating apparatus of the refrigerator; yet another feature of this invention is that the control mechanism and control knob are so associated that operative connection between them may be conveniently and simply made; other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent in the following specification and the drawings, in'which:

Figure 1 is a back elevational view of a domes tic refrigerator embodying my invention, with part of the food compartment broken away to show the control; Figure 2 is a partial vertical sectional view transverse to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view along the line 3I of Figure 1. I

While my improved control arrangement is adapted for use with any type of refrigerant circulating apparatus, it is here illustrated and described ln 8. domestic-refrigerator of the continuous absorption type. The system is based on the type of refrigerating apparatus shown in Bchurtz Patent'No. 1,414,527, which issued May 2, 1022. The basic system there shown has been considerably modified and improved by said Bchurtz and myself to adapt it particularly for domestic refrigerator, and a number of the features and improvements of the refrigerant circulating apparatus and its operation and arrange are the subject of copendin'g applications by the said Schurtz and myself, either jointlyor solely. The present application is directed-entirely to the location and arrangement of the mechanism for manual control elements for effecting variation in the rate of refrigeration; and the rest of the system will, therefore, be only described briefly.

In the particular embodiment of my invention disclosed herewith the flame from a burner l5 heats -a combination ofliquid refrigerant and expansion or pressure reduction valve admits the refrigerant from this receiver to an evaporator located in the food compartment 23 in'the upper part of the cabinet 24, where the expansionoi the refrigerant vapor absorbs heat in the food compartment and keeps it cold. The refrigerant vapor, [now at low pressure, passes down from the evaporator through pipe 25 to the rising leg 26 of an absorbent-circulating coil comprising the legs 26, and 21 and the finned cooling coil 28 at the bottom of the cabi- This circulating loop is. connected to an absorber chamber 29, and operates to dissipate the heat of absorption by circulating the liquid in the absorber down through the cooling coil 28, and by effecting most of the absorption in the rising leg of this coolin loop or circulating path.

In order to return rich liquor from the absorber to the still, and to deliver weak liquor periodically to the absorber, means is. provided for circulating refrigerant liquid periodically between the still and the absorber. Inasmuch as the absorber usually operates at a pressure between ten and fifteen pounds and the still at a pressure of ten to twenty times this pressure, no difliculty is oocasioned in the movement of the weak liquor from the still to the absorber, this taking place through the pipe '30 and being, controlled bya float actuated valve'in the absorber. Thus whenever the level of the liquid in the absorber drops, weak liquor moves up from the still. Return of rich liquor from the low pressure portion of the 'system to the high pressure portion of the system, however, is more dlfflcult; and is accomplished in the 'general manner taught 'in the above-mentioned Schurtz patent. --The transfer apparatus includes av transfer chamber II and transfer valve mechanism 32. v A fluid thermostatin the still operates, through liquid in the pipe 34, to effect movement of the transfer valves at desired'times. In general, it'may be stated that normally the top of the transfer chamber 3| is open to low the bottom of the chamber II is connected to a pipe containing liquid, in turn connected to the absorbent (asammonia and water) in a still it,

preferably encased with'heat insulating material. The refrigerant vapor boiled off by this application of heat passes up through an analyzer tower II and an air-cooled rectifier l8 to condenser coils 20 where it is liquefied. Ammonia liquefied in this condenser is forced up, by the vapor pressure behind it, through the pipe 2| tothe receiver 22, A conventional float actuated absorber, sothat the transfer chamber fills with rich liquor at low pressure. When the concentration of liquor in the still has boiled down to a predetermined vdesired minimum the fluid thermostat moves the valves to'block the connections of the transfer chamber to the absorber and to connect its top to a pipe containing high pressure vapor, and its bottom to the still. When these connections are effected the liquid in the transfer chamber drain by gravity to the still, and thereupon the valves return to their previous setting and the transfer chamber refllls from the absorber. This cycle may, for example, take place about once every seven or eight min- 'Re. 22,680 PATENT-OFF utes. It will be thus een that despite the constant boiling off of refrigerant vapor from the 22,cso

valve in the receiver 22 will pass refrigerant to the cooling coils at any rate the refrigerant is supplied to the receiver, it will be seen that variation of the rate or amount of refrigeration effect obtained in the food compartment may be attainedby variation of the flow of fuel to the burner. I have therefore provided control mechanism for varying the rate of fuel flow and operative mechanism, includinga control knob, for varying such rate, the control knob thus varying the amount of refrigeration attained. It is the location and arrangement of this control equipment with which this application is particularlyconcerned, and which will now be described more fully.

The fuel for the burner I5, preferably gas, is supplied to the refrigerator through the pipe 35. This pipe leads through flow control mechanism 38 to the pipe 31, Which'then delivers the fuel to the burner. The flow control mechanism 36, in accordance with conventional practice, includes a valve element for regulating the flow and mechanism for moving the valve. Movement of the valve is effected by thermostatic means responsive to the temperature in the food compartment, the amount of movement or position of the valve member for any given food compartment temperature being'regulated by manually operable control means associated with the thermostat. Thus the amount of refrigeration, responsiveprimarily to the thermostatic portion of the control, may be varied by operation of the manual control. The-food compartment is completely open in the front, in accordance with conventional practice, and the opening is surrounded or bordered by border means here shown as a rectangular frame defining the opening, the bottom section of the border means (the bottom member of the frame) being horizontal and here identified as ll. This frame is mounted in the cabinet and adapted to have the refrigerator door-received therein to make sealing engagement therewith, to provide the desired closure of the food compartment.

While a door frame is shown as a separate element, it will be understood that the opening may be defined by border means comprising the for.- ward portions of the food compartment walls, an inturned portion of the shell, or the like, and that the opening may be closed vby a door hung and operative in any conventional manner. In

mounted; to the left side of the bottom frame member, it will be obvious that the advantages of this control assembly and arrangement will be achieved by mounting the control knob anywhere in the bottom horizontal frame member 38. In this position the control member is immediately and easily accessible for manipulation upon opening of the food compartment door. Heretofore control knobs have generally been located alongside the evaporator, either deeply inside the food compartment in a relatively inaccessible place, or sometimes requiring the opening'of a second smaller door on the front of the evaporator to gain access to the control knob. Moreover, this location of the control knob in the bottom frame member enables the control mechanism to be' immediately adjacent and in convenient relationship to the apparatus in the machinery compartment, where such is beneath the food compartment. This desirable location is attained,

moreover, without the necessity of long or complicated connection between the control knob in the upper part of the food compartment and mechanismin the machinery compartment. As will be apparent from Figure 3, the control knob 39 isencircled with an annular metal indicator plate ll While the details are not shown here because of the size of the view, this plate will-normally bear on it inscriptions indicating which way the knob should be rotated to raise the temperature in the food compartment, and which inovement effects a reduction of temperature in the food compartment. There may also be certain arbitrary numbers or symbols on this encircling dial member II to enable an instruc- I tion booklet ,to be used wherein instructions are given as to the desired setting of the control knob for certain food preparation, as the freezing of ice cream or the like. The location of the condesirable since it calls them to ones attention each time the refrigerator dooris opened. The

control knoband encircling indicator dial are the bottom frame member 38 is mounted a knob or manual control means 39, this being rotatable. The knob 35 is connected to the refrigerator control mechanism 36 by a'simple and short connection, the rod 40 extending down through the front end of the insulating wall beneath the food compartment, in this case being shown as extending through a'wooden cross piece. Manual rotation effects adjustment in the control therefore varies the amount in accordance'wlth the'desire of is here shown as'being preferably of light colored, metal or plastic, to contrast with a dark colored door frame.

' While I. have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims. I

s I claim:

1. A refrigerator of the character described,

including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof and a machinery compartment in the lower part; an opening in the front of the food compartment; 8. frame surrounding said opening; a door adapted to fit into the frame .to close the opening; refrigerant circulating apparatus; means for controlling the rate of circulation, said means being in the machinery compartment; and regulating means extending from the control means through the bottom portion of the frame and provided with means for manual operation located immediately adjacent said bottom drame portion and accesslble only when the door is open.

2. A continuous absorption refrigerator of the character described, including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof and a machinery compartment in the lower part; an opening in the front of the food compartment; a frame surrounding said opening; a door adapted the machinery compartment;

to fit into the frame to close the opening: refrigerant circulating apparatus means for controllingthe rate of flow of fuel to control the rate of circulation, said means being in the machinery compartment; and regulating means extending from the control means through the bottom portion of the frame and provided with means for manual operation located immediately adjacent. said bottom frame portion and accessible only when the door is open.

3. A refrigerator of the character described,

. including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof and a machinery compartment in the lower part; an opening in the front of the food compartment; a frame surroundingsaid opening and having an approxi mately horizontal bottom portion; a door adapted to fit into the frame to close the opening refrigerant circulating apparatus; means for controlling the rate of circulation, said means being in and regulating means comprising a rigid shaft extending from the control means through the bottom portion of the frame and provided on its upper end with means for manual operation located immediately adjacent said bottom frame portion and accessk ble only when the door is open.

4. A continuous absorption refrigerator of the character described, including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof lation, said means being in the machinery compartment; and regulating means comprising a shaft extending from the control means through said bottom portion and carrying a control knob immediately adjacent and parallel to said bottom frame P rtion and accessible only when the. door I is open.

5. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 4, wherein the knob is of heat insulating material and a heat insulating member encircles the shaft beneath the knob.

e. A refrigerator of the character described. I

sediately adjacent said men I door is open.

8. A continuous absorption refrigerator of the character described, including: a cabinet having a food .compartment in the upper part thereof and a machinery, compartment in the lower part; 10 an opening in the front of the food compartment defined by border means thereamund, said her der means having an approximately horizontal bottom section; a door adapted to close said opening; refrigerant. circulating apparatus;

iii means for controlling the "rate of circulation, said means being" in the machinery compartment; and regulating means comprising a shaft extending from the control. means through said bottom section and carryins a control knob im- 20 mediately adjacent and parallel to said bottom section and accessible only when the door is open.

9. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 8, wherein the knob is of heat insulating material and a heat insulating member encircles the shaft 2s beneath the knob.

10. A refrigerator of the character described. including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof with an insulating wall therearound and a machinery' compartment in so the lower part; opening in the front of the food compartment; a door adapted to close said opening; refrigerant circulating apparatus means for controlling the rate of circulation, said means being in the machinery compartment: and

as, regulating meansextending from the control means through the-front end of the insulating wall beneath the food compartment and pro- .vided with meansfor. manual operation located at the bottom ofthefood compartment mimev t opening and accessible onlywhenthedcorisopsn.

ii. A refrigerator of the character described, including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof with an insulating wall thereanound and a machinerycompartment hav-. in! p rtions beneath and behind said food compartment; an opening in the frcntof the food compartment; a door adapted to close said opening; refrigerant circulating apparatus; means for in l vs a inet vinn food comp rtment controlling the rate of circulation, said means in the upper part thereof and a machinery compartment in the lower part; an openingin the front of the food compartment defined by border means therearound; ,a door adapted to close said opening: refrigerant circulating apparatus; means for controlling the rate of circulation, said means being in the machinery compartment; and regulating means extendina from the control means through the bottom section of-the of circulation, said means being in the machinery compartment: and regulating means comprising a rigid mm extending from the control misuse provided with means for manual operation located at the bottom of the food compartment immediately-adjacent said front opening and accessible only when the door is open.

12. A refrigerator of the character described,

60 including: a cabinet having a food compartment in the upper part thereof with'an insulating wall 'therearound and a machinery compartment having portions beneath and behind said food compartment; an openingin thefront of the food compartment: a-door adapted to close said opening: refrigerant circulating apparatus; means for v controlling the rate of circuiation,;.said means being in a portion of the machinery compart-- ment; and regulating means extending from the control means through said insulating wall and adapted toclose said opening:'refrigerant circulating apparatus; means for controlling the rate provided with means for manual operation located in the bottomfof the food compartment immediately adjacent said front opening and accessibleonlywhenthedoorisopen.

.- JOBEPHKRO'I'H. 

